ACS:Law Halts Chase Of Illegal File Sharers

ACS:Law, the law firm that had sent threatening letters to thousands of alleged file-sharers, has announced that it has now stopped actively pursuing people accused of online piracy.

According to the BBC, ACS:Law solicitor and owner Andrew Crossley, who is under investigation from the Solicitors Regulation Authority in London, said that he and the firm wouldn't be following up on the 26 online piracy cases it had previously brought against file-sharers on behalf of its client MediaCAT.

ACS:Law originally sent thousands of letters accusing people of illegal file-sharing, threatening legal action if they failed to pay a £500 fine for downloading illegally. Consumer group Which? later accused the company of sending legal letters to people who had nothing to do with illegal file sharing.

The lawyer was also extracting 65 per cent of any revenues collected from the campaign.

Crossley said in a statement to the court: “I have ceased my work... I have been subject to criminal attack. My e-mails have been hacked. I have had death threats and bomb threats. It has caused immense hassle to me and my family.”

The Judge explained that dismissing the case was not an easy process, as the accusing copyright holders were not present in court, meaning they could still pursue legal claims against the 26 defendants.